The Monster of War
by MysticMadameRover23
Summary: Death surrounds us… the smell of blood is thick in the air… These monsters… I never knew devils walked the same earth I do… when will this nightmare end…?
1. Fallen Soldiers

***I do not own the Road Rovers (unfortunately or they would still be on TV in their probably 20 something season). Also, there are several fictitious names such as 'Naamekelitte', General John Cranston, U.S. President Frank Newfringe, Israeli Prime Minister Aaron David, and Mohammed Hubari Gihiad are of my on creation. I also own my Original Characters: Jersey, Frieda, Weis, Greta, Elise, Abel, Brutus, Tanya, Yasha, Leona, and Irina.***

Somewhere in the Saudi Arabian desert:

'_**November 7… Death surrounds us… the smell of blood is thick in the air… These monsters… I never knew devils walked the same earth I do… when will this nightmare end…?' **_Hunter ended his journal entry as he closed the thin notebook and secured it back into his pack.

Six months earlier in May, he, Blitz, and Exile were sent in to assist American and Israeli forces in northern Saudi Arabia take down the Naamekelitte terrorist cell. This particular group of radicals was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Israeli Jews and American Christians in a mass suicide bombing right outside the city of Jerusalem leading to the Temple Mount during the Easter celebration. According to their leader, Mohammed Hubari Gihiad, the Temple Mount was rightfully the Muslims, not the Jews. They were prepared to do anything to supposedly "reclaim" the Temple Mount for "Allah".

The Israeli Prime Minister, Aaron David, took this act as a direct declaration of war. Along with the newly elected President of the United States, Frank Newfringe, troops from Israel and the U.S. were dispatched to Saudi Arabia's southern border, including our three heroes. Due to the nature of the mission, Master Shepherd had Shag, Muzzle, and the girls remain at HQ so a back up team was available if needed.

Three months later in August, the U.S. and Israeli Armies had the Naamekelitte and Arabian armies surrounded in the center of the country with American and Israeli soldiers on all sides. The rebel forces retreated from Jerusalem running directly into the American/Israeli wall, sealing their defeat. All supply lines for weapons and other necessities of war had been overtaken by American/Israeli troops, severely crippling the radical group.

Three more months brings us to the first few days of November. Hunter, Blitz, and Exile had been going non-stop in fighting against the terrorist cell. They had succeeded in disassembling all of Mohammed Hubari Gihiad's weapon and medical supply lines and nearly all of the hidden sniper nests near the American/Israeli bases. The Arabian soldiers were no match for three super powered canines with near perfect battle prowess. Blitz's new abilities of energy transference also enhanced Hunter and Exile's abilities along with the rest of the soldiers in their squadron which sent what survivors were left running for the desert.

The three Rovers had witnessed many victories, but also many horrendous acts of inhumanity they never knew existed. They were in an entirely new culture that had an extremely different way of thinking than they had ever encountered. Men brutally raping and beating their wives or daughters in broad daylight for nothing more than speaking or not covering their faces in public, people killing one another for one scrap of food, children being murdered in cold blood because they had in some small way 'dishonored' their families, prisoners drug through the streets tied to the back of carts or horses ripping their limbs from their bodies for minor offenses… the horrors impaled the Rovers' minds through with piercing heartache.

**Back to present…**

Hunter leaned against his pack as he propped up against the wall and tried to think about something other than the living hell festering in his mind. He looked around the small barracks that they had sheltered in after the previous evening's sniper nest raid. With all supply lines captured, it was only a matter of flushing Mohammed Gihiad out into the open.

Even though scorching heat prevailed throughout the day, the desert's nights were bone-chilling. Hunter pulled out his lightweight army green sweat jacket and wrapped it around his gaunt torso. He leaned his head against the mud brick wall trying to get a few moments of rest.

'_These demons… they deserve to rot in hell…'_ Hunter fumed inside his head as he scrunched his forehead in fury, wishing for the total destruction of these vicious people.

Blitz was lying on a rickety cot about three feet away staring blankly at the mud ceiling. He had already covered himself with his sweat jacket and a pair of fitted gloves as the chill in the night air came over him. Having really short fur wasn't exactly a 'pro' at night around here.

'_So much death… so much blood…'_ Blitz mourned as the thoughts of those lost pulled at his mind.

Exile was leaning on one shoulder against the cloth-covered door keeping a watch for any activity. The coldness of the dark didn't bother him. Being from Siberia, this place was like a summer getaway compared to the below freezing nights he spend covered in two to three feet of snow and ice. As a small breeze rippled through the abandoned huts and lean-tos, Exile couldn't help but get a little spooked.

'_Mother Russia… not even Chernobyl was this badski…'_ Exile thought blankly, keeping distant from any emotion.

The past six months had taken severe physical toll on our heroes' bodies. This mission had stretched them to the limit of their enhanced physiques.

Always on the move, they had hardly found time to eat much of anything. After six months of consuming maybe one MRE a day if they were lucky, all three of them were about 50 to 60 pounds underweight, making them look like walking skeletons in loose sacks of skin.

Sleep was non-existent. They were always on guard somewhere watching for the next opportunity to take down more of the radical terrorists, which made their eyes bloodshot and glazed over. If they got 20 minutes of uninterrupted rest, it was a God-send.

Although hygiene was difficult to maintain because of the environment, it held a lesser place of importance than defeating the enemy. They looked faded and pale with dirt, sweat, and grit matting their thinning fur together.

They had managed to hold together a form of teamwork as each day passed. Some days had tensions at an extreme that usually resulted in a growling match or an all out fight. Being canines as well made them even more unpredictable. Others were a mere tolerance of one another for the sake of their goal. The only thing keeping them from tearing one another apart was the fact that they were here to do a job benefiting mankind which was their ultimate purpose in living.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *AAAAHHHHHH!*

"Vhat dhe hell vas dhat…?" Blitz shouted.

"Gunfire…! Rovers, let's roll!" Hunter led.

The Rovers cautiously made their way outside armed with their combat pistols and AR-15s. As they ducked behind sheds and make-shift lean-tos, they were able to come up behind the group of 15 terrorist soldiers. The rest of their patrol of 5 men was sprawled on the ground dead. The Rovers rushed in a sneak attack and let their feral survival instincts take over. Each Rover split the group into 3 groups of 5 to take on individually before they launched themselves into battle.

Blitz terminated two of them with one hit of his electric shock beams. The remaining three jumped onto his body and wrestled and fought to bring him to the ground. After a hard struggle to keep from being overtaken, Blitz spun them off and with two claw swipes gutted their torsos, making blood and entrails spill all over the sand. After the last one fell, Blitz collapsed from exhaustion into the sand with both sets of his super-sharp claws completely torn out of his paws.

Exile had all five of his attacker's clinging to his back, trying to strangle his thick neck. Spinning around only made them squeeze tighter till he could feel his vision going black. Before they could react Exile slammed to the ground on his back, causing their immediate release of his airways. He stood to his feet as fast as he could and aimed his eyes straight at them. His eyes began glowing red causing them five terrorists to utter some form of plea. Unfortunately, it was too late. Exile shot his heat beams and turned them into a pile of blackened ashes. As his eyes returned to normal, he struggled to stay on his feet. He staggered toward Hunter in an effort to help, but eventually fell against a lean-to making the rude covering give way causing him to fall through.

The remaining five had Hunter surrounded with AK-47 assault rifles aimed at his heart. Hunter raced around them in circles making them fire every round of ammunition they had until the dreaded empty clicking sound signaled they were no longer armed. The five men dropped their useless weapons and lunged at Hunter almost bringing him to the ground. He fought hand to hand until his weakened body could no longer withstand them although it took four of the five to restrain him.

The one left over took the butt of his gun and rammed it into Hunter's knee, shattering it to oblivion.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH …!" Hunter screamed at the top of his lungs in pain.

As the terrorist was about to cripple his other knee, a single gunshot was heard and his torturer fell dead with a blow of the back of the head. The four restraining his arms dropped him and scattered in fear for being picked off.

They dropped Hunter with a hard thud as they ran as fast as they could from certain death. Hunter began losing consciousness as the pain became too much to bear. He strained for his collar and managed to press the emergency alert on the underside of the tag before collapsing into the sand.

**Meanwhile:**

Back at HQ,Master Shepherd sat at his desk scouring any article or newsfeed he could find about the Saudi Arabian conflict, searching for any sign of his precious pets.

No word or update had come from Hunter, Blitz, or Exile in the past six months. It was understandable they were very occupied, but something just didn't feel right.

"They have to be somewhere… I mean… humanoid dogs are always an eye-catcher…" Master Shepherd said to the four walls of his office.

As the words seemed to blur together on the large screen, the startling ring of his desk phone shook him from his concern.

"Hello…?" Master Shepherd responded.

"Bill…? This is John Cranston! We're transporting your team back to the States! They took out Mohammed Hubari Gihiad at a recently raided Arabian sniper nest! One has a shattered leg and is extremely unstable… the retriever… you need to get him fixed up ASAP… but they all look like they've been through hell, Bill! Be ready to receive them in about an hour! You got all that…?" General John Cranston yelled into the phone out of breath.

"Got it, John…!" Master Shepherd returned.

"Good! Cranston, out…!" General Cranston confirmed as he ended the call.

Master Shepherd raced out of his office to the balcony overlooking the recreation area of HQ finding everyone milling around either talking or reading, just trying to pass the day.

"Rovers…! Hunter, Blitz, and Exile are being transported back here! Colleen…! Professor Hubert…! Get down to the medical bay and prep for emergency orthopedic surgery! Everyone else, prepare the landing pads in the vehicle hangar and the triage area!" Master yelled out.

"Blimey, Master, what happened?" Colleen asked.

"No time to explain… just go…!" Master ordered.

"Huntie… please be alright…" Colleen thought.

Colleen and Professor Hubert exchanged worried glances as they ran down the long hallway to the surgical suite. Shag, Weis, Frieda, Brutus, Abel and Jersey raced to the vehicle hangar. Muzzle, Leona and Irina rushed to the triage area to wheel out gurney and IV stands. Tanya gave her precious Yasha a firm hug before turning to Greta and Elise.

"Comrades, would you please care for her? I do not want her to be seeing her Papa in such bad condition," Tanya pled.

"Of course, Tanya…" Elise said as she took Yasha from Tanya's arms.

"Spaisiba…" Tanya said as she raced off to triage.

As the Rovers rushed around in a frantic hurry, the military chopper carrying the three canine soldiers radioed the vehicle hangar as it approached the specific coordinates given to them by General Cranston.

"Road Rovers' base… this is chopper 0289 inbound… request permission to land… do you copy…?" the chopper pilot radioed.

As the voice of the pilot echoed through the speakers inside, Jersey picked up the receiver and radioed back, "Chopper 0289… this is Road Rovers' base… you are cleared for landing… copy…?"

"Copy Road Rovers' base… landing in 10…" the pilot responded as the radio transmission ended.

Meanwhile, on board the chopper, the three Rovers were strapped to gurneys one on top of the other in the restricted space of the chopper.

All three were still unconscious from their last battle. The on-board EMT kept a close watch on their vitals as they came into the secret base for a landing.

Upon reaching the landing pad, the slight turbulence of hitting the landing pad caused Hunter's eyes to shoot open.

"AAAHHHHHHHH…!" Hunter screamed in agony.

"Whoa! Easy fella… you're home… help's coming… easy now…" the EMT said, putting his hand on Hunter's chest trying to keep him still.

"AAAHHH…! My leg..!" Hunter yelled as he trailed off as the pain became excruciating.

Hunter's heart rate began racing and his blood pressure began to skyrocket causing the EMT to worry.

"He's gonna have a heart attack… he's been under too much strain…" the EMT thought.

"Easy… you're home now… it's over…" the EMT's voice said as Hunter fell silent again.

When the chopper's blades finally stopped spinning, the landing pad began descending to the ground floor of the hangar. Leona, Irina, and Tanya sprinted in with gurneys, IVs and vital monitors ready to be hooked up when they were given the go-ahead.

As the pilot exited the chopper, he opened the rear loading hatch and motioned for the Rovers to come in closer.

"The Retriever's left leg is completely shattered and his blood pressure and heart rate are all over the place. Get him to surgery STAT! The Doberman and the Husky are unconscious, but stable for now…" the EMT said as they unloaded Hunter, Blitz, and Exile carefully.

Weis and Shag took Hunter from the top rack and placed him on the gurney and began attaching the monitors and attaching the IV lines to the lines the EMTs had already placed.

"Let's go, Shag!" Weis led.

Shag and Weis carried Hunter straight to surgery where Colleen, Professor Hubert, and Master Shepherd were anxiously awaiting.

"What are we looking at, Weis?" Master asked as they began prepping Hunter for surgery.

"EMT said his left leg is completely shattered and his heart rate and blood pressure are all over dhe place…" Weis explained as he held Hunter's head still for Colleen to put the breathing tube in.

"My God… Professor, have a syringe of nitroglycerine drawn," Master said.

"Drawing…" Professor Hubert replied.

"Huntie…" Colleen whispered, appalled at her husband's condition.

"Let's go!" Master said as he began wheeling the gurney into the surgical suite of the medical bay.

Professor Hubert and Colleen followed right behind him as they closed the doors and sealed them from outside contaminants. Weis and Shag rushed back out to the triage area so assist with the other two.

In triage, Abel and Jersey had carried Blitz along with Tanya and Brutus who had carried Exile in to the triage area and began assessing their condition. They hooked IV lines into their paws and started a saline drip while they attached them to the heart monitors and oxygen masks. Jersey and Tanya drew several vials of blood for testing and rushed them to the lab inside to start processing. Shag and Muzzle went back forth assisting where they could: bringing wound care supplies, removing the waste… etc.

"He looks like his body vas put in a meat grinder, Mutter," Brutus said as he rinsed the tear marks across Blitz's arm.

"I know, Brutus. He's been trooh a lot. Be sure to disinfect dhose vounds vith peroxide and alcohol before bandaging dhem," Frieda instructed.

"Ja, Mutter…" Brutus replied.

"Look, Frieda… his claws… dhey're gone," Weis said holding Blitz's mangled paws.

"Meine poor child… coat dhem vith dhe beesvax salve and termal gloves after you rinse dhem out," Frieda said sadly.

"My poor kindula… his body is looking like he lost fight with pack of polar bears…" Irina said as Leona helped her cleanse a gaping wound across Exile's chest.

"He's been through hell that's for sure," Leona said as she poured alcohol into the wound.

Irina dried the outer edge and pasted the wound in ointment before bandaging it. Leona took a soft cloth and ran it under some hot water and gently tried to cleanse the blood and grime caked over a wound on Exile's side.

"I can only imagine how my little sunbeam is faring…" Leona said solemnly.

Inside the surgical suite, Colleen monitored Hunter's vitals and the anesthesia levels as she stroked his face gently. Master Shepherd and Professor Hubert had cleared the pieces of shattered bone out of Hunter's knee and were in the process of attaching a bionic replacement. The entire length of his shin bon had cracked straight down the middle, but Master and Professor Hubert had secured the bones back in place with pins and screws.

Hunter's once rich golden fur had become a ghastly shade of pale yellow. Deeply embedded bags weighed his eyes down where Colleen could see how blood-shot his eyes were. His lean and strong muscled frame had been replaced by loose skin stretched thinly over his bones.

She looked down at one of his arms that had fallen off the table saw how callused and cracked his paw pads were from the abuse of war. His claws were a mangled mess. Scars and fresh wounds covered his body, making it look like a battleground.

"Huntie… what happened over there?" Colleen thought.

Suddenly, the heart monitors began going off the charts. Hunter's heart rate began flying sky high while his blood pressure rose to near-fatal levels. His back arched as muffled yelps of pain came from his muzzle.

"He's having a heart attack! Quick…! Colleen, inject the 10 CCs of nitroglycerin…!" Master Shepherd said frantically.

Colleen quickly injected the syringe straight into Hunter's chest. Suddenly, the heart rate monitor flat lined!

"Get the charging pads…!" Master ordered.

Professor Hubert quickly handed them to him and charged the shock system.

"Charging 8…. CLEAR!" Master said as he applied the electricity to Hunter's chest.

"Nothing…!" Colleen said.

"Charging 10… CLEAR!" Master said.

The heart rate monitor began to signal an irregular heart beat. Slowly, his heart rate and blood pressure stabilized, which allowed Master and Professor Shepherd to finished replacing Hunter's knee.

Colleen strained to keep her tears from escaping, knowing it wouldn't help anything or anyone if she started bawling her eyes out. She just kept her eyes glued to the monitors as tears escaped her eyes and fell onto Hunter's face.

Three hours later, Master Shepherd finished his last stitch and snipped the end of the suture thread. He coated the stitches in a coating of iodine to prevent infection as he removed his blood-soaked gloves.

"He's lucky … if he hadn't already been here…" Professor Hubert began as he removed his mask.

"Indeed… let's get him to a room…" Master said as he discarded the gloves in the biohazard waste bin.

Colleen took the anesthesia muzzle away from Hunter's nose and removed the breathing tube along with the heart monitor and blood pressure cuffs.

"Colleen, go and get cleaned up. I'll put Hunter out in Room 1," Professor Hubert offered.

Colleen nodded as she exited the surgical suite and went into the medical bay showers. She stripped off her blood and sweat-soaked scrubs and stepped into the blasting hot water as she tried to scrub away what had just happened.

"Huntie…" Colleen rasped as her sorrow could no longer be contained.

She just stood under the hot water crying her heart out. She managed to pull herself together long enough to cleanse herself, but no amount of soap could wash away her hurt.

In triage, everyone was attentively watching the monitors as they slowly wheeled them inside recovery. Exile was put in Room 3 while Jersey wheeled Blitz into Room 2.

"Blitz… please wake up, Darlin'…" Jersey pled with her still unconscious husband.

Blitz looked like the very life had been drained from his body. His once midnight black fur and rich mahogany markings had faded to a shade of dark gray and an almost muddy brown.

"He looks so pale…" Frieda said as she gently stroked Blitz's ear.

Jersey opened one of his eyes and the familiar sparkling gray eyes she was so fond of had no life in them. She tenderly closed it back and trembled at what she just saw.

"His eyes… they're so dark," Jersey whimpered.

"Dhere is no telling vhat he saw," Weis said.

Jersey ran her fingertip across Blitz's muzzle until she noticed a large drip of blood come out of his maul. She tenderly lifted his lip and gasped in horror.

"Mein Gott…" Weis said.

"Oh my…" Frieda said, shivering.

"No…" Jersey mourned.

Blitz's diamond point super sharp teeth that could tear through steel but still love her so tenderly were broken, chipped, or ground down to the nerve endings. Blood dripped from his gums from the injuries.

"Abel, get a mouth guard from dhe cabinet outside and dhe Ora-Gel paste," Frieda asked.

Upon returning with the items, Frieda filled the mouth guard with the paste as Jersey slowly opened Blitz's mouth up. Frieda gently fitted the paste-filled trays around his gums and let Jersey lower his jaws back down.

"Hopefully vhen he vakes up he'll be able to heal himself…" Brutus commented.

"Dhat's all ve can hope for, Brutus," Abel said in agreement.

Jersey gently held on of his paws in hers, disgusted at the blood-soaked bandages that reeked of alcohol and iodine encasing them.

"Blitz…" Jersey whispered as tears began pouring out of her eyes.

She laid his paw back down next to his emaciated frame. His bulging muscles that would hold her so close and make her feel safe were gone. Mounds of loose skin barely covered his skeleton.

Frieda came beside her and took her away as sobs finally won out. The family left the room hoping for the best. They went down the hallway to the recreation room and gathered around one another in front of the fireplace. Elise and Greta already had a warm fire burning as Greta held a sleeping Yasha in her arms rocking in a rocking chair.

"It's alright, meine Schatz… come…" Frieda comforted as she sat Jersey down on the pillowed area in front of the fire.

Being the closest thing to a mother she ever had, Jersey clung to Frieda like a child that just had a horrible nightmare. Frieda held her close as she rocked her back and forth.

Jersey couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She cried until she fell asleep in Frieda's arms. The family gathered around one another trying to comfort each other.

Meanwhile in Room 3, Tanya stood over Exile not wanting to believe what she was seeing. The strongest man in the world to her was just lying there motionless looking like something out of a horror movie.

Exile's blue markings had faded away. He had turned a dingy cream color by the dirt and sand. His eyes had sunk into his skull along with most of his muscle mass. He looked like nothing more than a sack of bones inside a bag of loose skin.

Tanya picked up one of his paws and put it against her cheek, trying to feel some sign of life… to no avail. Tanya couldn't believe how limp his paw was. Just from her gentle touch, large drops of blood oozed out from between the cracks of the bandages staining them.

"Ilari…" Tanya sobbed.

Irina stood beside her daughter-in-law and rubbed her shoulder trying to comfort her. Seeing her youngest pup in such a state was making her just as uneasy.

"Tanya… let's goski… let him rest for now…" Irina said helping Tanya to her feet.

Tanya nodded in agreement as they exited the ICU. Irina and Tanya went down the hallway to the recreation room and sat down on the red sofa in front of the fireplace along with everyone else. Tanya pulled her knees up to her chest as she sank into one of the plush chairs.

"Tanya, don't holdski all that hurt in… it will only make it much worseski… think about Yasha…" Irina said, trying to calm her daughter-in-law.

Tanya looked up and saw her precious daughter asleep in Greta's arms. She held out her arms to hold her and Greta carefully transferred her over. Tanya just rocked with her baby girl until she went limp from exhaustion. Irina put a blanket over them and just kept a watch over them.

"It's in dhe Lord's hands now…" Greta said softly as she warmed herself by the fire.

Elise began softly singing 'How Deep the Father's Love for Us' which seemed to give everyone at least a moment of tranquility.

On the other side of the recovery ward, Leona stood at Hunter's bed-side as she waited for Colleen to return. She ran her paw over her son's thin face not believing how horrible he looked.

"Come on, my little sunbeam… please open those handsome brown eyes…" Leona softly spoke to Hunter, praying he would hear.

Colleen cracked the door open to find her mother-in-law waiting for her. Leona extended her arms for Colleen. Colleen nearly collapsed into her adopted mother's embrace with tears rolling down her face.

"Shhhhh… everything is going to be fine, Colleen. My Rose-blossom, please stop crying…" Leona said as she held her adopted daughter close.

"Hu-Hun-Hunter had a he-hear-heart attack on the t-ta-table… Mum… h-he almost di-died…" Colleen sobbed into Leona's neck.

"A heart attack… how…?" Leona questioned.

"I-I don't know… Mum… I'm so sc-scared… look at him…" Colleen said as she buried her face into Leona's neck further.

"It'll be alright, Rosie… I'm here… come..." Leona said as she sat in the soft rocking chair in the room and motioned for Colleen.

Colleen was able to give a small smile upon hearing her mother-in-law's pet name for her. When she first met Leona, she said her red and white fur reminded her of the first rose blossoms of spring on the Wyoming farm. It always made her feel special.

Colleen didn't care that she was hanging off the chair, nor did Leona care how big Colleen was. She was still her adopted daughter and she needed her. Colleen cried her heart out until she didn't have any energy left. Eventually, she fell asleep from exhaustion in Leona's arms. She held her close to her heart and just kept rocking. Colleen's pitiful sobbing was finally quieted with the soothing rhythm of Leona's heartbeat.

Master and Professor Hubert kept watch over the families for the rest of the night, hoping and praying that this nightmare would be over soon. Shag stayed in and out of the kitchen bringing anything that would help: hot tea, warm milk, hot chocolate… Sleeplessness reigned throughout the night at HQ. Some were able to doze off and on, but for the most part they kept watch over the fallen soldiers.


	2. Wounds of War

The next week was filled with anxiety, fatigue, and worry as the three war-sick canines lay motionless. More discouraging problems developed than improvements. With major holidays approaching, spirits were at an all-time low throughout HQ.

Ever since his massive heart attack in surgery, Hunter's heart had developed palpitations that caused his heart to race for about two or three minutes before calming down. By the grimacing of his face, it also caused him great pain.

Although still unconscious, Blitz's face showed signs of massive trauma. The only expression he had was that of sadness and pain. Massive migraine headaches developed that caused him to stir slightly, but eventually the pain caused him to fade back into his coma. Professor Hubert had to put mouth guards around his teeth to keep him from grinding them down further.

There were times that, if it wasn't for the medical equipment, Master Shepherd would have thought Exile was dead. His breathing was shallow and could barely be noticed. Seeing him almost solid white was enough to send chills down his spine.

One morning, even though tired, they began caring for their mates as best as they knew how with the help of their mother-in-laws.

Colleen and Leona wheeled Hunter to the decontamination showers of the medical bay. They hadn't used them since their mission to Chernobyl over a year ago when Tanya and Exile were reunited. With Professor Hubert's help, they hoisted Hunter onto one of the padded tables.

"Thanks, Professor," Colleen said.

"You're welcome, Colleen. Let me know if you need anything," Professor Hubert replied as he made his way through the sealed doors.

Leona cut what clothes remained off of his battered and bruised body and discarded them in the hazardous waste bins.

"No telling what he had to get into over there…" Colleen said.

"Indeed… as rank as they are makes me wonder if he even had time to change clothes more than once a month… phew," Leona said as she fanned the air in front of her nose.

Colleen eased off the bandages that almost encased his entire body gently so she wouldn't tear the skin. After disposing the bloody, puss-filled bandages in the biohazard waste bin, she took the overhead shower nozzle and adjusted the temperature and pressure to a comfortable warm gentle flow.

Leona just rubbed Hunter's ears as she looked at the battleground of healed scars and gaping wounds that covered her only son's body.

"My little sunbeam… he looks like a monster tried to eat him alive…" Leona said with concern.

"The monster of war…" Colleen added.

Leona took the shower nozzle and began rinsing the grime and dirt out of Hunter's fur. She took an antibacterial shampoo and massaged it into his fur, taking care to get as much caked blood and grit out as possible. She and Colleen turned his body gently as needed as they lathered and massaged till it coated more of them than it did Hunter.

Leona rinsed his fur out with hot water carefully cleaning the wounds out so they wouldn't become irritated.

Colleen took a soft towel and dried him carefully till he was no longer dripping then took a hand-held blow-dryer and finished the job.

Leona took a soft cloth and soaked it with hot water so she could clean Hunter's face. She sighed with sadness as she rinsed the grit off with a gentle trickle of water from the shower nozzle.

Colleen began irrigating the infected wounds till she could no longer see any discolored tissue and then saturated them with iodine.

When Leona finished washing Hunter's face, she held Hunter's leg up straight and still as Colleen re-wrapped it with gauze.

Colleen began redressing his wounds with another saturation of peroxide and iodine. After drying around the wounds, she applied an antibacterial ointment into the wounds and re-bandaged them.

Leona wrapped Hunter's lower half in a breathable cotton sheet so it would be easier caring for him.

Three hours later, they wheeled him back into his room. As Colleen put another catheter and colostomy tube in, Daisy took his one of his paws and began softly massaging a deep moisturizing paste into the rough and callused pads on his hands and feet.

"My goodness… how much these must hurt him…" Leona said as the pads quickly absorbed the paste.

"I can't even imagine…" Colleen replied as she covered Hunter back up.

Colleen took a nail file and smoothed Hunter's mangled claws so they wouldn't catch on anything and get torn out while Leona continued applying the healing balm.

Leona slipped insulated socks and gloves over his paws to keep the third application of the paste on his pads while Colleen took out a bottle of natural tears and tenderly opened his bloodshot eyes.

She flushed his eyes out rehydrating the sensitive area. She closed each eye tenderly and softly kissed it when she finished.

Colleen nuzzled his neck softly as she listened to him breath. She crawled up beside him being careful not to put too much pressure on him.

"Huntie… I love you…" Colleen whispered in his ear.

Leona sat in the soft rocking chair, exhausted from all the work. She gently held one of Hunter's paws as they took a moment to breathe.

Jersey had just wheeled Blitz into the decontamination showers after Professor Hubert informed her that they were open. The family decided it would be best for just Jersey and Frieda to tend to his more personal needs.

Weis, Abel, and Brutus lifted Blitz onto the padded table and set him down gently.

"He barely veighs anyting…" Brutus said.

"It's liked something sucked dhe very life from him…" Abel added.

"I know, meine Söhnes, but off vith you all now. Hopefully getting him cleaned up vill help," Frieda said as she shooed the boys out of the sealed door.

"Ve'll be close if you need us, meine Liebe," Weis said as he resealed the door.

Frieda nodded and closed the curtains around them. Jersey snipped what remained of the torn and bloody army khakis and boxers from around his legs and discarded them in the hazardous waste bin.

Frieda removed the damp bandages while Jersey adjusted the shower nozzle. As the filthy gauze strips were unwound, fear began growing as more and more infected wounds were revealed.

"Nein… Jersey, look…" Frieda said with worry.

"Oh no… let me tell Professor Hubert," Jersey said as she went out from behind the curtain and tapped on the glass.

"What's wrong, Jersey?" Professor Hubert asked through the phone on the other side.

"Professor, Blitz's wounds are covered with puss and infection. I know he's too weak to start on antibiotics. What else can we do?" Jersey asked with fear.

"Cleanse the wounds as best as you can. Boil them out with peroxide and alcohol as many times as you have to. Redress the wounds with gauze pads soaked with iodine. I'm looking over their blood work you and Tanya drew and I can start him on vitamin supplements to help his immunity, but until he wakes up that's all I can do," Professor Hubert instructed.

"Alright… thank you, Professor," Jersey said as she hung up her receiver.

She ducked back behind the curtain and turned the water on as hot as she could stand working with.

"Vhat did he say?" Frieda asked as she dumped the infected bandages into the waste bin.

"Professor Hubert said to cleanse them the best we can and boil them out with peroxide and alcohol. He said that he can put him on some vitamin supplements for his immunity, but can't do much else till he wakes up," Jersey said as she began carefully cleansing one of Blitz's legs.

Frieda went behind Jersey as she blasted Blitz's fur with hot water and began cleansing his fur with the antibacterial shampoo before messing with the wounds.

When Jersey finished blasting the infected tissue and grime from his fur and wounds, she followed behind her mother-in-law and began rinsing the shampoo from his fur and wounds.

They continued their cycle with Frieda going behind and gently towel-drying his fur and around the wounds. Jersey followed that with boiling the wounds with peroxide with Frieda dowsing it with alcohol after the peroxide no longer bubbled. They went around boiling out the wounds 5 times before no more infected tissue presented itself.

Frieda dried off around the wounds as Jersey poured iodine into a small tub and began soaking gauze pads to dress his wounds.

As Jersey laid the gauze pads over the wounds, Frieda cut strips of clean gauze to wrap over the iodized pads. She gently, but snugly, bound the strips over the wounds to keep the antibacterial agent on the wounds so the infection would dissipate.

After they had finished with the wounds they could see, Frieda gently lifted his mouth open as Jersey removed the mouth they had put in the night before. She rinsed the bone fragments and dried blood out from ever corner until she couldn't see any more bits and pieces.

"Mom, would you hand me the mouth guard?" Jersey asked.

"Here ve go…" Frieda said handing her another Ora-Gel filled dental tray.

Jersey fitted him with the mouth guard and closed his jaws so they wouldn't slip around.

"Lieblinge, vould you get dhe beesvax so I can put anodher layer around his claws? Well… where dhey used to be…." Frieda asked.

Jersey retrieved the large glass jar and set it down between them as they pasted they wax over where his claws would be, hoping they would return soon.

"Ich liebe zie…" Jersey said softly as she put her cheek next to Blitz's.

Jersey wrapped a cotton sheet around his waist and retrieved the gurney they wheeled him in on.

"Let's get him settled back in his room so Tanya can bring Exile in," Frieda said as she pulled the curtains back.

Frieda knocked on the door for the rest of her boys to come in and lift Blitz back onto the gurney.

"He looks a little better… how vere his vounds?" Weis asked as he, Abel, and Brutus laid Blitz back down.

"Not good… they were coated with infection. We cleaned them the best we could. Professor Hubert's gonna start him on some vitamins for his immunity," Jersey explained.

Weis just shook his head as he and his two sons wheeled Blitz back into his room. Professor Hubert was waiting with another IV bag to attach to his lines.

"Here we go… this should help," Professor Hubert encouraged as he attached the IV lines.

"I hope so…" Frieda said with concern.

"Oh, also, here's some mentholated cream for those headaches I've been seeing. It should prevent them from being so painful, especially after he wakes up," Professor Hubert explained, handing Jersey a blue squeeze bottle.

Jersey raised Blitz up with help from Weis and Brutus and leaned him against her. She poured the mentholated pain-relieving cream into her paws and began gently massaging it into his temples.

"I've never seen him like dhis…" Brutus said sadly.

Jersey hung her head as a few tears dripped down her nose.

Meanwhile, Tanya and Irina had wheeled Exile into the decontamination showers and were carefully peeling the faded cargo pants from his body. Tanya left Yasha in Greta and Elise's care while she tended to her husband.

"I've never seen clothing be sticking so badski… if I go too fast his fur just comes right outski," Irina said.

"Da, it is being like they were glued to him," Tanya agreed.

"Tanya, hand me shower nozzle. Maybe hot water will get them off better," Irina asked.

Tanya handed her mother-in-law the shower head and watched as the tattered pieces of clothed gently fell away from his body.

"I'm glad thatski worked. I'll get the shampoo if you'll start getting bandages offski," Tanya said.

Irina gently removed the blood-soaked strips from her son's thinned body and was horrified to find massive amounts of infection in the wounds.

"Wounds are all greenski… what… what is being this?" Irina asked in shock as what seemed like muck began rinsing out of her son's fur.

Tanya looked down as black and brown sludge streamed off Exile's body and wounds. Tanya put on latex gloves and rubbed her finger across a puddle of the muck. She sniffed it and nearly gagged on the putrid smell.

"Mother Russia… it's… it's… human waste… like he had to swim in septic tank…" Tanya said trying to breathe through her mouth.

Tanya grabbed the shampoo and Irina began blasting her son's fur with the hottest water possible to rid him of the muck and slime. Tanya scrubbed firmly, but was carefully to not to bruise his already thinned muscle structure. It took 3 hours and three entire bottles of antibacterial shampoo before they could rinse Exile's fur clean.

After they rinsed themselves off, Tanya and Irina began waging war against the badly infected wounds. They managed to clear away the dead tissue from the blasts of hot water, but the wounds were still wide open and dripping fresh blood.

Irina began boiling the wounds with peroxide while Tanya went behind her with alcohol and iodine. It took over an hour to cleanse Exile's wounds thoroughly. Tanya stuffed the deep wounds with iodine soaked gauze and Irina laid iodine soaked gauze strips across the surface wounds.

When they finished, Tanya covered Exile's lower half up with a light cotton blanket and wheeled him back to his room. Tanya settled him back in and retrieved two small green tins from the cabinet right outside the door. Irina returned with a pair of insulated socks and gloves as the two began applying the thick bright yellow paste to Exile's paw pads.

"Mother Russia… I can be keeping paste on more than few minutes. His paws are soaking it up like sponge," Irina said as she applied the paste to one of his foot pads again for the fourth time.

"Knock* *Knock*

"Who is it…?" Tanya asked through the door.

"Elise… Yasha's been whimpering for you. May I come in?" Elise asked as Yasha whimpered for her mother.

"Hold onski…" Tanya said as she went and covered Exile's lower half with another blanket before allowing Elise to come in.

Tanya then went and opened the door as Yasha reached out for her. Elise brought in her play-pen so Tanya would have a place to put her.

"Spaisiba, Elise…" Tanya said, giving the Doberman a small hug.

"You're welcome. Anyvay I can help…" Elise said as she left the room.

Tanya placed Yasha in her play-pen nearby Exile's bed as she tended to him. His fur was now solid snow white after she and Irina finished bathing him, but it only worried them more.

Yasha cooed and smiled at her mother, unaware of her father's grave condition as she played with her stuffed polar bear. Tanya managed a smile at the sight of her adorable daughter as she sat at Exile's side and began applied more of the paste to his hands.

After she slipped a pair of insulated gloves over his hands to keep the paste applied till it soaked in, Yasha whimpered and reached for her mother to pick her up. When Tanya picked her up, Yasha reached for Exile. Tanya looked at the clock on the wall of the room and noticed it was about Yasha's bedtime. Exile would always take her and lay down with her till she fell asleep.

"My little bubula… I'm sure Papa won't mindski if you sleep with him…" Tanya whispered.

Tanya sat at Exile's side and placed Yasha on his chest. Yasha yawned and cuddled to her father's chest and drifted off to sleep.

"Ilari… my love…" Tanya whispered as rubbed Yasha's back.


	3. Further Complications

The day faded quickly to night once again as Shag made his rounds around the medical bay with dinner. Although everyone was exhausted from the day's work tending to the boys, they still tried their best to keep their strength up.

Shag had just delivered Colleen's dinner to her as she sat down at the small table in the room. Leona had gone to her room to shower and rest while Colleen opted to stay with Hunter.

Colleen slowly drank the mug of earl grey tea Shag had made for her, letting her favorite drink soothe her dry throat. She lifted the silver cover on her plate to find a piping hot bowl of tomato soup.

"Bless Shag to the end… he always seems to know what everybody needs…" Colleen smiled to herself.

Colleen savored the comforting soup which made her feel a little stronger.

Suddenly, she heard a groan come from Hunter's bed. Her head spun around and noticed Hunter trying to open his eyes.

"Uhhhh…" Hunter moaned as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Huntie…?" Colleen said quietly as she came to his side.

"Colleen…? WH… what happened? Where am I?" Hunter asked weakly.

"Shhhhh… you're home, Love. You were flown back here with Blitz and Exile after Mohammed Gihiad was found dead at the sniper nest you raided. Oh thank the Lord you're alright…" Colleen explained gently to not shock him.

"He's dead…? AAHH…!" Hunter rambled as he tried to sit up only to be stopped with severe pain in his left leg.

"Easy, Huntie… your left leg was completely shattered. Master and Professor Hubert repaired it, and…" Colleen began but stopped short.

"What…? Why does my chest feel like a tank ran over it…?" Hunter asked.

Colleen looked away, not wanting to relive the horror of what happened during his surgery.

"Colleen, answer me!" Hunter growled, startling Colleen.

"Why are you yelling, Huntie…?" Colleen asked in shock.

"Just tell me and stop trying to sugar-coat everything…" Hunter said bluntly as he narrowed his eyes.

"You… you had a massive heart attack while you were in surgery…" Colleen said as tears formed in her eyes.

"A heart attack…?" Hunter said in shock over what he just heard.

Colleen nodded, still trying to ignore Hunter raising his voice to her.

Hunter just laid back and looked at the ceiling, still trying to digest everything. His aggression and anger growing from his memory of the hell on earth they had to endure.

"How long have I been home…?" Hunter asked with a blank expression.

"Over a week… all of you have been unconscious ever since you got back…" Colleen answered, hiding her tears so she wouldn't upset him.

"A week…?" Hunter said to himself.

Hunter was silent for a moment. Hatred and anger began flowing through his mind over the atrocities he witnessed. Colleen just stood stiff, trying to not let on how Hunter had upset her. Hunter looked and saw her face emotionless.

"Does she even know what I've been through…? She got to stay here while I had to go through hell on earth…!" Hunter fumed to himself.

Hunter jerked his head away from her as his heart began racing again. His blood pressure began skyrocketing as his heart rate dropped.

"AH! My chest… what's happening…?" Hunter yelled, clutching his heart.

"Master…!" Colleen screamed.

Master Shepherd ran in and quickly administered a dose of nitroglycerin which stopped the episode.

"Easy, Hunter… that heart attack you had was no laughing matter… you have to keep calm…" Master explained.

"Easy for you to say…! You didn't just get back from hell!" Hunter shouted, snarling fiercely.

"Hunter… No…" Colleen sobbed as she ran out of the room.

"Hunter…! Calm down!"Master demanded as he put his hand on a syringe of Phenobarbital.

"You have no idea what I've had to go through! How can you ask me to calm down…?" Hunter continued ranting, growling and snapping at Master's hands.

Master quickly injected the sedative into Hunter's IV line. Hunter felt his body totally giving up on him, no matter how he struggled to move. He locked into Master's gaze as his vision began to blur.

"NO! No… no…" Hunter snapped as his eyes became heavy and sleep overtook him.

Master just heaved a heavy sigh of concern. This was worse than he could've anticipated.

Colleen ran down the hallways of HQ until she came to her mother-in-law's room. She frantically knocked on the door, startling Leona from her brief nap.

Leona opened the door to find her adopted daughter's eyes red and swollen from crying.

"Colleen…! What's wrong…? What happened…?" Leona questioned as she brought Colleen inside and shut the door.

"Hunter… Hunter… he woke up… but it's not him! He yelled at me and growled and he even did the same to Master! Mum, I want my Huntie back!" Colleen sobbed loudly as she slumped to the floor.

"Oh my Rose-Blossom…shhhhh… I'm sorry, Rosie. I should've been there…" Leona said as she knelt beside Colleen and embraced her tightly.

Colleen couldn't say another word but just gave into the sadness and agony of her broken heart. Hunter never yelled in anger, especially not to her. His voice was so empty… dark… the warm kind tone she loved so dearly was nowhere to be found. She cried harder than she ever had before.

Leona just picked her up from the floor and led her to lie down across her bed. Colleen clutched one of Leona's feather pillows tightly and cried until she went limp from exhaustion. Leona rubbed her daughter-in-law's shoulders and head till she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Jersey had just finished her dinner of macaroni and cheese with a mug of hot chocolate when she heard Blitz shift in his bed.

Jersey's head shot toward the bed as she saw Blitz open his eyes.

"Blitz…?" Jersey said softly.

Blitz's eyes were blurred for moment till he blinked them into focus. Jersey went to his side and kissed his cheek.

Blitz tried to ask how he had gotten home, but all he could muster was a few low grumbles. Although she couldn't understand what Blitz was saying verbally, Jersey was so tuned into her husband she could tell what he was thinking.

"Shhhhh… you, Hunter, and Exile killed Mohammed Gihiad on your last mission. It's over. Hunter was injured and you and Exile were unconscious. You were brought home over a week ago," Jersey explained.

Blitz closed his eyes for a moment until a sharp stinging pain began tearing at his temples from the light of the room. He began whimpering loudly as he pointed to the blinding sun streaming in through the window.

"The light is bothering you…? Jersey asked, just to confirm what Blitz was groaning at.

With a nod, Jersey quickly darkened the room so another migraine wouldn't start. Now that Blitz was awake, she knew it was only going to get worse. She went back to his side as she stroked the fur on head. Blitz groaned again as he motioned around his mouth and paws, wanting to know what was going on with his body.

"Your teeth were ground down badly. You have a mouth guard with Ora-Gel in it to help with the pain. Your claws are completely gone," Jersey explained.

Blitz whimpered in slight sadness; the two things he took most pride in had been stripped from him. As he tried to understand the pain his body was in, he held one of his bandaged paws over his head and whined again for Jersey to explain why he felt like his skull was in a vice. Jersey kissed his temple before she explained what his battered and bruised body had developed.

"Professor Hubert noticed while you were unconscious that you'd have severe migraines. I've been trying keep a mentholated cream massaged on your head so it wouldn't be so bad when you did wake up," Jersey said touching his paw tenderly.

Blitz squeezed her paw in return as firmly as he could without causing pain to shoot through his claws. He lay back onto the soft pillows beneath his head and closed his eyes in an attempt to relax. Instead of peace, flashes of the horrible things he and the others had witnessed began replaying through his memory: the screaming and wailing… the bloodshed… the acts of cruelty… it was just too much.

Tears poured from Blitz's eyes as the painful memories caused his headache to grow in intensity. Nausea began building in the pit of his stomach. Painful cries finally escaped from Blitz's throat as his eyes clenched in pain. Jersey shot up as she saw the all-too-familiar signs.

"Professor…!" Jersey called.

Professor Hubert came rushing in and saw Blitz clutching his head and sweating profusely.

"Jersey, get the muscle relaxer injection! Easy, my boy, this will help," Professor Hubert asked.

Jersey returned with the muscle relaxer inside a syringe. Professor Hubert administered the medicine into Blitz's IV line. It took over an hour for the headache to subside which kept Blitz writhing in pain and throwing up pure bile and stomach acid. The memories that kept playing over and over sickened him to his very core.

When Blitz could finally relax, Jersey looked into his pain-filled eyes. There was no telling what horrors he experienced, but she knew trying to make him talk about them now would only bring on another headache. She just cradled his head close to her chest trying to be as comforting as possible.

Professor Hubert administered a light sedative so he could rest without another headache overtaking him.

"Rest up, my boy…" Professor Hubert said as Blitz's eyes finally closed.

Jersey tried to keep herself from crying, but she had never seen Blitz in that much pain. She gently lay Blitz's head back onto the pillow and tenderly kissed his cheek.

"He looks like his very soul was taken from him, Professor…" Jersey said, choking on her tears.

"We can just keep him comfortable, my dear. You need to go and care for yourself. You've been here for over a week now," Professor Hubert said, leading Jersey out of the room.

"Professor… I can hardly bear seeing him like this…" Jersey said.

"I know, my dear. This will pass soon enough. You'll see…" Professor Hubert said, trying to cheer her up.

Jersey managed a smile and left the medical bay heading toward the room that she and Blitz shared. After closing the door behind her, she couldn't muster an ounce of strength and just collapsed on the bed and curled herself up as tight as she could clutching Blitz's pillow to her face, savoring what scent was still there.

**In Room 3:**

Tanya had Yasha tucked into a little ball of blankets in her play-pen. Shag had brought them dinner about an hour or so ago consisting of hot cereal for Yasha and creamy mashed potatoes with chunks of ham mixed in for Tanya. Irina had left to shower and refresh herself from the day's labor.

Tanya kept a watchful eye as she carefully monitored Exile's breathing. Throughout the week, signs of respiratory trauma and stomach trouble presented itself. Although she wanted Exile to wake up, she also didn't want him to endure the pain his body was experiencing. Being unconscious spared him a lot of the physical ailments.

Yasha was curled up in her purple and light blue fuzzy blanket like a little burrito. Tanya couldn't help but smile at how precious Yasha looked.

"Looks like I haveski a little blini for a pup…" Tanya laughed.

Exile uttered a low groan as he began moving his head around coming back to reality.

"Ilari…?" Tanya asked, going to his side.

"Uhhhh… Tanya… whereski is I…?" Exile asked groggily.

"Home… you got ridski of bad Mohammed man and were broughtski home. Comrade Hunter was hurtski, and you and Comrade Blitz wereski in bad shape. I'm so happy you're safe…" Tanya said with a soft smile.

"Home… Yasha…?" Exile asked.

"She is over thereski… asleep… she's missed youski…" Tanya said.

Exile took a deep breath in, but began coughing loudly. Dark colored mucus and blood came up almost gagging him. Tanya held a small tray under his mouth so he could expel what he coughed out of his lungs.

"Mother Russia… I feel like lungs are being choked by polar bear…" Exile rasped as he struggled to catch his breath.

"I go and get Master. He needs to know you're upski…" Tanya said.

Exile nodded as she left the room. He craned his weak neck over and saw his little girl all wrapped up, cozy and warm. A moment of peace calmed his breathing. Suddenly, his stomach began burning ferociously. It felt like hot irons skewering his stomach.

"AH! Bolshoi…!" Exile writhed as he clutched his stomach.

Master and Tanya returned a few moments later to find Exile clutching his stomach and laboring to breathe.

"Exile… what's wrong?" Master asked.

"Master… stomach… burning… can't breathe…" Exile managed.

"Easy now… Tanya, go and grab the ultrasound," Master asked.

Exile grimaced in pain as he began sweating, soaking his fur. Master gave a concerned glance as Tanya returned with the ultrasound. He prayed that his suspicions were wrong.

Master put the lubricating jelly on Exile's stomach and rolled the ultrasound wand around looking for the cause of Exile's discomfort. As he viewed his stomach three dark colored areas appeared, signaling erosion in the stomach lining. He projected the ultrasound up and viewed Exile's lungs. Dark clouds covered the entire area.

Master's suspicions were confirmed. He sighed sadly as he cleaned the jelly off Exile's stomach and covered him back up.

"What is itski, Master?" Tanya asked, worried.

"Tanya… it appears that his stomach is ulcerated in several places, but my bigger concern is his lungs have all the signs of severe bacterial pneumonia," Master said.

"Mother Russia… Ilari… what nowski…?" Tanya said.

"We start him on antibiotics against the pneumonia. For the ulcers, I'd like to just start him on a bland diet. His along with Hunter and Blitz's systems are so in so much shock that immediately adding back a lot of high-fat or highly seasoned foods will be detrimental. His body is so weak and emaciated that I'm concerned how he'll hold up under the medicine," Master explained.

"Ilari…" Tanya said with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sure he'll be just fine. He has you. Now, Exile, do you think you could try and eat something. The antibiotics I have to give you will make you nauseated if your stomach is empty," Master said.

"I'll tryski, Master," Exile said weakly.

"Good… that's all I'm asking… I'll get Shag to bring you something before I start you on the antibiotics," Master said as he left the room.

Tanya took a clean cloth and ran it under a stream of cold water. She applied to Exile's forehead to soothe his fevered brow. She had never seen him so sick and weak. His eyes looked so dried up and pale.

The cold dampness of the cloth brought a moment of relief to Exile's fever. He closed his eyes momentarily only to open them with paste-like residue over them. He tied to blink his eyes into focus, but it only made it worse.

"Tanya… my eyes… I can't see…" Exile said.

Tanya grabbed another bottle of saline eye drops that had a moisturizing agent in them and cleansed each eye of the gummy yellow goo that was caked over his eyes.

"Better…?" Tanya asked as she dried his eyes off gently.

"Da… spaisiba, my angel… you have no ideaski how bad desert country was… so much death… it was horrible…" Exile began.

"I prayed for youski every day. I know I wasn't thereski… but I am now. I heard that war is over. You and other comrades made it all go awayski," Tanya said.

"At what costski is it being over…? My angel… I saw so muchski… it is being hard to want to tell you…" Exile said with a painful cough.

"Shhhhh… don't upsetski yourself, my love. When you're ready, I'll be hereski," Tanya soothed as she gently kissed Exile's forehead.

Exile relaxed back onto his pillow as the door opened to his room. Irina came in and was glad to see her son awake at least. He looked so weak and pale.

"Mama..." Exile said softly, acknowledging his mother's presence.

"There's my little kindula… glad to see you awakeski…" Irina said as she sat on the other side of his bed across from Tanya.

Exile smiled upon hearing his mother's term of endearment for him, which comforted Tanya greatly. Irina touched Exile's face and felt the high fever ravaging his system.

"Tanya, get another wet clothski…" Irina asked.

Tanya took the cloth off of Exile's forehead that had already turned hot from the fever. Tanya soaked it again with cold water and replaced it, bringing another wave of relief to Exile.

Twenty minutes passed of trying to break Exile's fever until Shag and Master returned with something for Exile to try and get in his system so the antibiotics wouldn't make him feel worse.

Shag brought one of Exile's favorite comfort foods, hot cereal sweetened with honey. Master had the antibiotic IV drip bags prepared for when Exile was finished.

For the first time in what seemed like forever to Exile, the desire to eat something returned causing a loud growl to roar from his shriveled stomach.

Everyone in the room smiled at the slight sign of improvement. Shag handed the steaming bowl of cereal to Irina and left the room to go about his usual rounds.

Master put the antibiotic bags on Exile's IV stand and hooked them to the lines.

"The antibiotic is ready. All you need to do is attach it to the line in Exile's hand. I'll leave you all be for now. Call for me if you need anything," Master said as he left the room.

"Spaisiba, Master…" Tanya said.

Irina stirred the hot cereal a few times to release the steam and cool it off enough so it wouldn't burn Exile's mouth. Tanya slowly raised Exile's bed up so he could sit upright and brought the bed table over. Irina set the bowl down in front of him and took the cloth from his forehead.

Exile tried to pick his arm up and reach for the spoon beside the bowl, but to no avail.

"Bolshoi… I can't even be picking my arm upski," Exile said as his arm collapsed back beside him.

"Here… I know you are being all grown upski… but I think this is being special circumstance…" Irina said.

Irina sat as close as she could and took the bowl and dipped a spoonful out. She brought it to Exile's mouth and he gladly accepted it.

The smooth cereal warmed his throat and stomach as he slowly nursed it from the spoon. The burning pain in his stomach began to dissipate and was replaced by the long lost feeling of comfort. The heat calmed the irritation in his chest helping him breathe a lot easier. Even though he only managed to take about 5 mouthfuls, it was still a step in the right direction. Irina put the bowl down and wiped Exile's muzzle.

"Spaisiba, Mama…" Exile said weakly.

"You knowski I do anything for you, kindula… restski now…" Irina said gently.

All of a sudden, Yasha's little whimper came from the play-pen. Tanya went and picked her little bundled form up and sat back down next to Exile. Exile turned and looked at his baby girl all wrapped up tight. He couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like little blini stuffed with blue and white furski…" Exile said.

Tanya smiled as Yasha yawned and went back to sleep. Upon seeing her yawn, Exile couldn't help but do the same.

"You need to be doing the same, Ilari," Tanya said.

Exile nodded as he relaxed his body against his pillows. Tanya attached the antibiotic to Exile's IV line in his paw and gently kissed his cheek. Exile closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately. Irina closed the curtains to the room and left behind Tanya. Before retiring for the night, Tanya stopped by Master's office with a smile on her face.

"How's he doing…?" Master asked.

"He's very weakski still. I had to feed him like puppy, but he did take good five mouthfuls of cereal. He's breathing is less heavy," Irina said.

"Well, I'm glad one of them seems to be getting better," Master said solemnly.

"Whatski do you mean, Master…? If I'm notski overstepping my boundaries…" Tanya asked.

"Not at all, Tanya… Hunter and Blitz are not faring as well. I had to forcefully sedate Hunter because he was becoming so irate… yelling, snarling, and growling at me and Colleen. Blitz is suffering from severe migraines that won't ease up unless he's sedated as well. Has Exile said anything?" Master said.

"He told me that he sawski terrible things and it was very hardski for him to want to tell about it. I told him to restski that when he was being ready I would be there," Tanya said.

"That's another good sign… I hope Blitz and Hunter can come to the same," Master continued.

"I've never known of Comrade Hunter to be doing the yelling and the growling… especially not to Comrade Colleen…" Tanya said in shock.

"That is what is concerning me more than just the physical symptoms. I believe that there are more psychological issues buried beneath that are causing them to be physically sick," Master said.

"Da… I was shocked how he let me care for him like I didski when he was pup," Irina said.

"I think you might be on to something, Irina. Let's see how they fare the next few days," Master said.

"Goodnight, Master," Tanya said as she and Irina left.

"Goodnight," Master returned.


	4. Resolve

The next 7 weeks passed with not much improvement for Hunter and Blitz. The Rovers were so consumed in caring for Hunter, Blitz, and Exile that their usual Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities just passed by like they were just another day on the calendar. Without all their loved ones, there just wasn't much point in celebrating.

Blitz was stricken with migraines at least once if not twice in a day and had to keep the mouth guard in all the time which made it practically impossible to eat by mouth, not that he was even interested. Apart from the physical ailments, Blitz's seemed to be sinking into a deep depression. Nothing would make him even crack a smile.

One afternoon after another failed attempt in trying to get Blitz to take an intravenous feeding tube, Jersey gave the medical tray back to Professor Hubert.

"No luck…?" Professor Hubert asked, even though he already knew the answer just by looking at the sad expression on Jersey's face.

She shook her head and drug herself out of the medical bay. Professor Hubert just heaved a sign of discouragement as he returned the medical supplies back to the counter.

With nothing else to she could do, Jersey went to the one place she could always find comfort and peace… the garden.

She sulked through the withered and barren rose bushes and tulip beds and flopped down in the tree swing, trying to get her mind off of her sorrow. A small breeze made ripples on the stream spreading a few fallen lily petals over the water. A few tears ran down her face as she pulled her knees to her chest.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her and another presence sit down next to her. Jersey looked up and saw the warm face of her mother-in-law, Frieda.

"No luck vith him today either… huh?" Frieda stated.

"No… Mom, I don't know what to do. I wish he would talk about what's bothering him, but I know it'll just cause another migraine to start up and I don't want to cause him any more pain," Jersey said.

"I know, meine Lieblinge," Frieda said as she wrapped her arm around Jersey's shoulders.

"Will I ever have my husband back?" Jersey asked aloud.

"I know it seems hopeless, but ve have a Hope bigger dhan our problems. Have you even sung lately?" Frieda asked, having an idea to cheer her daughter-in law.

"No… I just can't even bring myself to. All I do is start crying," Jersey said.

"Try again…" Frieda encouraged.

"I… I can't…" Jersey choked.

"Please…" Frieda nudged.

Jersey just sighed in defeat. She knew that Frieda wouldn't let up unless she at least attempted.

Jersey closed her eyes and tried to let a song come to her mind. Suddenly, the tears stopped and she found the strength to start singing for the first time in many weeks.

"Dreams to dream… in the dark of the night… when the world goes wrong… I can still make it right… I can see so far in my dreams… I'll follow my dreams until they come true…" Jersey began the soft song.

Frieda listened with tears in her eyes.

"Come with me… you will see what I mean… there's a world inside no one else ever sees… you will go so far in my dreams… somewhere in my dreams… your dreams will come true…" Jersey continued as she scooped a water lily from the pond.

Meanwhile in Room 2 of the recovery ward, Blitz's ears perked up as the sound of Jersey's voice travelled from the garden. He listened intently at her sweet voice he hadn't heard in so many months. He realized the memories that plagued him stopped replaying. He could no longer hear the tortured screaming and he couldn't see the blood that sickened him. He strained his ears, hoping to hear more of his wife's heavenly voice.

"There is a star waiting to guide us… shining inside us when we close our eyes… don't let go… if you'll stay close to me… in my dreams tonight you will see what I see… dreams to dream… as near as can be… inside you and me… they always come true…" Jersey finished as she sat back down by Frieda.

"Feel any better…?" Frieda asked.

"Yes, I do. I just wish Blitz could've heard… maybe it would help," Jersey said, dropping her ears.

"You might be on to something. Vhy don't ve go and see if it makes a difference?" Frieda said with a smile.

Jersey nodded in agreement as they headed back to the medical ward.

Blitz lay against his pillows yearning to hear his dear wife's sweet voice more. Her voice… it made all the negative energy blocking his mind and tranquility disappear entirely. He finally felt peace.

"Oh… vhy did she stop…?" Blitz thought.

Suddenly, he heard his door quietly squeak open.

"Blitz, are you awake?" Jersey asked as she poked her head inside the door.

With the mouth guards, it was difficult for Blitz to say much of anything. He managed to make a low-tone whining noise to answer her question.

Jersey entered and sat down beside him and cradled his face in one of her arms. Blitz whined again as his eyes made contact with hers. Jersey rubbed his ears and kissed the end of his nose. Blitz whined in a determined tone which made Jersey confused.

"Blitz, what's wrong? I'm here…" Jersey soothed as she ran her paw through his head fur.

Blitz lifted his arm slowly and touched her lips with his paw and flicked his ears in a way Jersey would notice. Jersey put the two together.

"You heard me singing…?" Jersey asked.

Blitz nodded as tears formed in his eyes. He flicked his ears again giving Jersey an idea.

"You want me to sing for you…?" Jersey asked.

Blitz nodded as he lay back against his pillows actually relaxing his body. Jersey smiled as she scooted behind him and held him close to her heart.

"Nothing you can say could tear me away from my guy… nothing you could do 'cause I'm stuck like glue to my guy… I'm sticking to my guy like a stamp to a letter, like birds of a feather we stick together… I'm telling you from the start I can't be torn apart from my guy…" Jersey sang softly in his ear, easing his mind.

Blitz was finally able to forget the darkness and horror of what he had seen. He felt his energy begin to rebuild throughout his weakened body.

"Nothing you could do could make me untrue to my guy… nothing you could buy could make me tell a lie to my guy… I gave my guy my word of honor to be faithful and I'm gonna… You better be believin' I won't be deceivin' my guy…" Jersey continued as joy began filling her heart.

Blitz's tortured mind began melting into comfort as his felt his energy pulsing inside his mouth and around his paws.

"As I matter of opinion I think he's tops… my opinion is he's the cream of the crop… as a matter of taste to be exact… he's my ideal as a matter of fact…" Jersey continued.

He felt his eyes begin glowing white as the beautiful voice of his wife echoed through his ears.

"No muscle-bound man can take my hand from my guy… no handsome face will ever take the place of my guy… he may not be a movie star but when it comes to bein' happy… we are there's not a man today who could tear me away from my guy…" Jersey sang as she embraced her husband's face close to her.

Tranquility along with extreme fatigue began weighing heavy on Blitz's eyes. Sleep had been difficult because of the pain of his body and mind for so long.

"No muscle-bound man can take my hand from my guy… no handsome face will ever take the place of my guy… he may not be a movie star but when it comes to bein' happy… we are there's not a man today who could tear me away from my guy… There's not a man today… who can tear me away… from my guy…" Jersey sang with every ounce of love she had.

As she finished, she noticed Blitz's body no longer tensed up. He was breathing deeply. She smiled and kissed his cheek as she eased out from behind him and laid him back down against his pillows.

"He's finally asleep… wait… what…" Jersey beamed as she noticed Blitz's mouth not sunk in as it was.

She lifted his maul open and could've screamed for joy. She tenderly closed it back and ran out of the room.

"Master…! Mom…!" Jersey called.

"Jersey…! Vhat's wrong? Is Blitz alright?" Frieda asked as she took hold of her daughter-in-law's shoulder to slow her down.

"I just finished singing for him and he fell asleep. I noticed his mouth wasn't all sunk in and I lifted his lip and saw his teeth and gums all pearly white and pink again!" Jersey said as she embraced her mother-in-law.

"I guess there is power in music. I hate to disturb him right now, so we'll just leave him be for now. He needs the rest," Master said happily.

"I tought it vould help…" Frieda said, giving Jersey a knowing glance.

"I'm glad it did…" Jersey said as she left the medical ward.

Frieda smiled as she went over to the bed she and Weis were sharing for the night. They opted to stay with Blitz to give Jersey some time to herself. Weis had already collapsed and was breathing deeply as Frieda crawled in and cuddled beside him.

Around one o'clock that morning, a blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the medical bay of HQ.

Inside Blitz's room, his weakened body tossed and turned fighting the torment his subconscious was putting him through.

Weis and Frieda shot up from the bed they were sharing just outside the room. They both jumped out and rushed into the room.

"Blitz… vake up… you're dreaming!" Weis pled.

"Nein… nein… get avay from dhem…" Blitz rambled in his sleep.

"Meine Schatz… Mutter's here… come on…!" Frieda said as she gently shook his shoulder.

"NEIN…!" Blitz screamed, waking up panting heavily and covered in sweat.

"Easy, Blitz, it's vas just a bad dream. It's over," Weis said, trying to calm Blitz down.

Blitz just froze and fell silent against the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Frieda looked at her firstborn with sorrow as she gently removed the mouth guard that loosely clung to his teeth.

"Veis… go on back to bed. I'll stay here," Frieda said as she sat at the foot of Blitz's bed.

"Alright, meine Liebe, come and get me if you need me," Weis replied as he drug himself back to bed.

When Weis left, Frieda looked over at Blitz's shivering form curled up into a fetal position. Frieda moved behind him and lifted him up into her arms. She began rocking him back and forth feeling rivers of tears pour from his eyes through her shirt.

"Mutter's here, meine Schatz, Mutter's here… Shhhhh…" Frieda soothed as she nuzzled his neck and kissed his forehead.

The soothing sound of his mother's heartbeat and her warm gentle embrace eventually calmed Blitz's tortured crying and he fell asleep peacefully. Frieda held him in her arms the rest of the night.

**Over in Room 1:**

Hunter's anger and frustration had only grown to where Master was forced to put a muzzle on him and restrain his hands to the bed when he came to check on him. It was like trying to care for a wild unpredictable animal.

After another tense session of trying to draw blood for testing and redressing his wounds, Master retreated out of Hunter's room looking like he had just lost a fight with a rabid wolf. He disinfected his bloody hand with alcohol as he wrapped in gauze.

"Hunter bit you again, Master?" Professor Hubert asked.

"Yes… I didn't want to have to sedate him. It's too dangerous to keep flooding his system," Master said as he rubbed his hand in slight pain.

"It's getting too dangerous like he is now…" Professor Hubert replied in argument.

"I know, Professor. I don't know what it's going to take to get him through this. He won't eat or accept a feeding tube and I know he doesn't sleep much if any at all. I fear the worst if something doesn't change soon," Master said.

Meanwhile, Leona had her paws full trying to keep Colleen going. After hearing Hunter yell at her and try to snap at her, she couldn't bear to sleep in their bed. She asked her mother-in-law if she could stay with her to which Leona readily allowed.

All Leona could motivate Colleen to do was get out of bed, but she just moped around HQ like a puppy whose master had abandoned her. She refused to eat hardly anything. Even at night she couldn't be consoled. She would just cry until she ran out of energy.

As Colleen drug around the recreation room, Leona watched in grave concern as Colleen sat by the fireplace curled up into a ball.

Leona went over and sat beside her and just pulled her into her arms. Colleen's body barely had the energy to lean over into her mother-in-law's embrace.

"Colleen, it's been over a month. Why don't you go and see Hunter?" Leona asked gently.

"He'll just growl at me. I heard Master say that Hunter's bitten him when he goes to check on him. My Huntie doesn't bite people that love him. My Huntie is gone," Colleen sobbed.

"My little Rosie, I wish I knew something to make it all better. All I can say is that I'll always be here," Leona said as she embraced Colleen tighter.

"There's nothing anyone can do. My life is over," Colleen cried.

"She's losing the will to live," Leona thought solemnly.

"Colleen, don't say things like that. Shhhhh… Rose-Blossom, crying is only gonna make it worse," Leona said as Colleen began crying again.

She held her precious adopted daughter until she could find the strength to move. Colleen collapsed into her favorite plush chair and fell into an exhausted sleep.

Since she knew Colleen was petrified to venture back down to the medical ward, she made her way down to see about her son. She regretted not coming more often, but Colleen needed her attention more. Although it seemed hopeless, something kept telling her that there was something simple that would work.

She entered the sealed doors and found Master and Professor Hubert filling out paperwork and making their rounds.

"Afternoon, Leona…" Master said.

"Afternoon, Master… my goodness… what happened to your hand?" Leona asked fearfully.

"Hunter… I tried to loosen the muzzle so it wouldn't be as uncomfortable and he grabbed my hand and sunk in," Master said.

"No… my little sunbeam… is it alright if I see him?" Leona asked tentatively.

"Yes… just be warned… he's not himself…" Master said.

Leona nodded and replied, "I think I have an idea that might bring the Hunter we all know back. I know it may sound crazy, but sometimes even the bravest of soldiers need their mother."

"I believe you, Leona. It has seemed to start the others on a faster track to recovery. Hopefully, it'll work with Hunter," Professor Hubert replied.

Leona slipped inside the room and saw Hunter staring at the ceiling with a nylon muzzle wrapped extremely tight around his maul and his paws cuffed tautly to the bottom of the hospital bed. She leaned against the door facing and observed, hoping to get some insight into what Hunter was really thinking.

Hunter lay helpless on his bed, still spewing hatred for what he had to endure. The pain radiating from his leg only fueled his fire further. He had managed to stretch the nylon muzzle around his maul enough where he could open his mouth.

"Why do devils like that get to live? They should all be dead! Why…?" Hunter fumed.

Leona frowned hearing her son's aggressive attitude. There was definitely something Hunter was clinging to that was making him react this way.

"Colleen… doesn't understand… Master… he's to blame… why did WE have to go…?" Hunter rambled on.

"What in the world are you talking about, Son?" Leona said, finally hearing enough.

"Mom…! How long have you been there?" Hunter asked, suddenly ashamed.

"Long enough…" Leona said blankly.

Hunter looked away in another wave of fury as she came closer and sat beside him.

"Why are you doing this, Hunter?" Leona asked.

"Doing what…?" Hunter growled.

"That…! Whatever it is you can't seem to come to terms with… you're taking it out on the people who care about you the most… even your wife! You won't eat… you can't sleep… and neither can Colleen. She is losing the will to even live, Hunter, and its because of you!" Leona said.

"You weren't there! I had to see things that would make Hell look like a tropical vacation! " Hunter yelled as his heart rate began rising.

Hunter's mouth began foaming as he snarled and growled at the pain radiating from his chest and the pounding throb of his leg. His eyes became solid black as the anger permeated his entire being.

"Listen to what you just said… have you even tried to get it out…? Look at yourself…" Leona said solemnly as she pointed to the mirror on the wall.

Hunter continued snarling as he looked at his reflection… but what he saw scared him half to death. Hunter's face dropped in shock over what he saw. The foam dripping from his mouth… the muzzle strapped around his mouth causing painful indentions… his limbs chained securely like a prisoner… who was this he was seeing? Anger had morphed him into a… monster. He was no different than those terrorists… those abusive men… he had become what he hated…

"Is that what Colleen saw…?" Hunter asked, with fear in his voice.

"That's what everyone has been seeing…" Leona confirmed.

"No… no… Mom…" Hunter stammered as tears began pouring out of his eyes like running faucets.

"Now… do you see…? You've only been hurting yourself. You've even bitten Master! We all know you went through hell, but all we've wanted to do since you got home was to help you cope. You've acted like we've been the enemy," Leona explained.

"What… have I… done…? Mom…" Hunter sobbed as his heart rate began to slow down.

Leona approached him knowing there was nothing to fear and removed the muzzle and restraints from her son's mouth and limbs. She raised her son into her arms and just let him cry. Seeing him so broken like a little puppy broke her heart, but she knew that this was a major stepping stone.

"Mom… I'm s-s-sorry… Mommy… I'm sorry…" Hunter whimpered.

"Shhhhh… let it all out my sunbeam…. Let it out… shhhhh… Mommy's here…" Leona soothed as Hunter's pitiful crying continued.

Leona held him until she felt him go limp from exhaustion. She laid him back down and tucked his blanket under him. She gently kissed his forehead as she quietly left the room, anxious to tell Colleen what had just happened.

Before getting very far, she bumped into Master who was headed in to check on Hunter's vitals.

"How is he, Leona?" Master asked hesitantly.

"I don't think you'll need these anymore, Master," Daisy said happily, dropping the muzzle and restraints into Master's hand.

"What happened…?" Master asked.

"A mother's touch…" Leona stated with a smile.

"At least I can check on him without worrying if my hand will be coming back with me…" Master said with relief.

"I'm going to go tell Colleen the good news. Hopefully, she'll come down here later on," Leona said as she made her way out of the medical bay.

A few doors down, Exile was sitting up in his bed with Tanya applying more of the paste to his paw pads, which were looking almost normal. Exile's signature blue fur had started reappearing around his ears and face. His ice blue eyes were crystal clear again.

"You have been goodski to me, my angel," Exile said softly.

"I love you, Ilari. What other wayski am I to be?" Tanya smiled as she finished the paw she was working on.

Exile smiled, but a deep coughing fit suddenly overtook him causing him to cough up more mucus. Thankfully, the antibiotics had helped greatly in clearing the severe infection so it was just a matter of getting the excess cleared out.

"You okie-dokie…?" Tanya asked.

"Da… I will be being glad when lungs are notski full of slime… bleck…" Exile replied.

Tanya smiled as she slipped the insulated glove back over Exile's paw.

"I'm gladski your ulcers had healed so quickly. I know how bad thatski must have been…" Tanya commented.

"Nyet… I don't even wish that painski on worst enemy…" Exile said, glad to be rid of the burning wounds.

Yasha was snuggled into her father's arm as Tanya began applying the goo to Exile's foot pads. Yasha cooed and growled cutely as Exile played with her little feet.

Irina came in carrying breakfast… scrambled eggs, sausage links, and buttered toast. The aroma of solid food had Exile's mouth watering. Although he enjoyed hot cereal, he was glad for a change.

"Well, look who's up and aboutski already…" Irina said as she set the tray down on the table.

"Morning, Mama…" Exile said.

"Good Morning, my kindula… you're looking betterski every day," Irina commented.

"Only because I have such wonderful wife and mother to take careski of me…" Exile said.

"I am agreeing with that…" Tanya added.

"Well, I think we are all readyski for a good breakfast for once… here we areski…" Irina said as she put Exile plate in front of him and handed Tanya hers and sat down with her plate.

Exile was thankful he could pick up his own fork again. He gave Yasha small piece of sausage to nibble on while he enjoyed the rest. Tanya and Irina were so thrilled to see Exile eating better. Even though there was still a long road of recovery ahead for him, they had each other to keep them going strong.

As they finished their breakfast, a knock came at the door.

"Good morning to you all! Exile, you're looking much better… I can even see your blue markings coming back in," Master said.

"Thank you, Master. I have loving wife and mother to care for me and little bubula to keep me smiling," Exile said as Yasha cooed.

"Let's see… looks like the pneumonia has cleared up wonderfully and your ulcers are completely healed. With those done with, I can start you on some more vitamin supplements. Apart from that, you just need to gain weight. My charts say you've got about 60 pounds to put back on," Master said smiling.

"As many good cooks that are being around here, I don't think thatski should be problem," Exile laughed.

"Also, I'm putting you on light strength training. Brutus will get you started on that when you're a little stronger, probably in a few days," Master said.

"Spaisiba, Master," Tanya said.

"You Rovers are like my children. There's nothing I won't do to care for you," Master said as he left.

Yasha stretched out beside Exile's side and quickly fell asleep.

"I am thinking full tummy pushed the offski button on our little Yasha," Irina said.

"I am thinking so too… after a goodski breakfast like that a nap sounds like good idea," Exile said with a yawn.

"It is good idea… why don't we all take nap for a while. Then, we can get you up and walking around," Tanya said.

"Da… after being on back for so long I'm ready to get upski," Exile agreed.

Exile lifted Yasha onto his chest as Tanya snuggled beside him. Irina stretched out in the rocking chair and propped her feet on the foot of Exile's bed. Within five minutes, the family was dead asleep.

Down the hall, soft snoring could be heard coming from Blitz's room. Frieda had managed to lay Blitz down and leave the room a few minutes after sunrise. She went back and found Weis awake sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Are you alright, Veis?" Frieda asked, sitting down beside him.

"Ja… couldn't really sleep much after Blitz had dhat nightmare spell. Did he ever go to sleep?" Weis asked.

"Listen…" Frieda said.

Weis listened and heard his son's soft peaceful snoring coming from inside, which made him sigh with relief.

"I've never seen him dhat scared," Weis said.

"I know, but he'll be alright. I tink he just needed a vay to get all dhat sadness and hurt out. He's still meine Kind after all…" Frieda explained.

"I'm glad ve're here for him. Let's go and see about breakfast. I'm sure he'll be hungry dhis morning," Weis said happily.

"I'll make him some oatmeal. It'll help his system not be in so much shock," Frieda said as she and Weis headed out of the medical bay.

"Ja… as much veight as he's lost…" Weis added as the door slid open.

"I tink it'll help all of us… OOOFFF…!" Frieda began until she tripped over something in her path.

"Uhhhh…" Brutus groaned.

"Brutus… vhat are you and your brodher and sisters doing out here?" Weis asked, seeing the rest of his children piled on top of one another on the floor.

"Ve couldn't sleep in our rooms… ve just wanted to be close in case Blitz needed us…" Abel explained with a fatigued yawn.

Frieda and Weis smiled at their children's concern for their brother.

"Ve're going to make some breakfast for him. Ve all need it," Frieda led.

"He feels like eating…?" Greta asked, hoping.

"He had a rough nightmare spell last night, but Mutter vas able to get him calmed down," Weis replied.

"I tought I heard someone scream last night," Elise said.

"I tink he finally got out all the horror I'm sure he saw. He just needed… vell… me…" Frieda said.

"No matter how grown ve are, Mutter, ve'll alvays need you," Abel said.

"Danke, meine kind… has any of you seen Jersey?" Frieda asked.

"Nein… not yet…" Greta answered.

"Maybe she's already up… let's check dhe kitchen…" Weis said.

The Doberman family entered the kitchen of HQ and found Jersey sitting at the dining table all alone with a mug of hot chocolate. Her eyes were droopy and bloodshot from what appeared to be a restless night.

"Jersey, are you alright? Vhat is wrong, lieblinge…?" Frieda asked as he sat down close to her.

"I just couldn't sleep… horrible nightmares…" Jersey said weakly as another stream of tears began trickling down her face.

"Shhhhh… meine Schatz…," Frieda said as she took Jersey into her arms and dried her eyes.

"I want… I just want my husband back…" Jersey whimpered.

"I know… I know… how about some breakfast? I tink it'll help all of us. Blitz may even feel like eating vhen he vakes up. I tink last night he finally let all the hurt and sorrow that he's had bottled up…" Frieda comforted.

"Really…?" Jersey perked up.

"Ja, come on now… a good breakfast and a change of clothes vill do us all a vorld of good…" Frieda encouraged.

The Dobermans and Jersey went into the kitchen and prepared a soothing, filling meal of oatmeal with raisins and apples cooked in.

They all gathered back around the dining table and slowly filled their stomachs, savoring the comforting warmth of the steaming grains and fruit. After they all finished, Weis gathered the dishes and took them to the dishwasher in the kitchen.

"Now, meine Kinder, go and freshen yourselves up. Vater and I vill go and check on Blitz," Frieda said as she set Blitz's bowl of oatmeal and a mug of peppermint tea on a carrying tray.

Everyone nodded in agreement and separated to their respective rooms. Weis and Frieda returned to the medical bay and stopped by Master Shepherd's office.

"Guten Morgan, Master," Frieda greeted.

"Good morning, Frieda, Weis… how did everything go last night?" Master asked as he draped his stethoscope around his neck.

"Vell, Blitz had a bad nightmare spell around one dhis morning," Weis replied.

"I see… did he say anything?" Master asked.

"Nein… he just fell silent…" Weis finished.

"I told Veis to go back to bed and I just held him. He started crying hard until he eventually fell asleep in my arms. I held him the rest of the night until about six dhis morning vhen I laid him down and left dhe room," Frieda explained.

"Has dhere been any change?" Weis asked.

"Not since I've gotten down here… he's still asleep, he looks rather peaceful," Master answered.

"Gut…" Weis said, relieved there hadn't been another episode.

"He's stirred a few times, but just turning over or readjusting himself…" Master added.

"He'll probably vake up vhen ve come in vith breakfast… just hope he decides to accept it today," Weis said.

With that, Frieda and Weis made their way back to Blitz's room only to be greeted by Blitz's snoring. The sound alone brought a wave of relief across the worried parents' minds. Frieda set the breakfast tray down and sat at her son's side, running her soft paw across his head, gently rubbing his ears.

Blitz whimpered in acceptance at his mother's touch as he slowly pushed his eyes open to be greeted with her comforting presence. For the first time in months, Blitz was able to smile, which overjoyed his caring parents.

"Guten Morgan…" Frieda said softly.

"Mutter…" Blitz whispered.

"You feel like eating anyting…?" Frieda asked, praying the answer was 'yes' today.

Blitz nodded his head in response, nearly bringing Frieda to tears. The light inside the room wasn't making his eyes burn or his head to pound. The nausea and pain seemed to have disappeared.

"Dhat's my boy… here ve go…" Weis said, handing the tray to Frieda.

Blitz tried to sit up, but weakness only brought his body back down. Frieda sat the top half of the bed up and set the tray on the small side table.

"I know you are grown, meine Kinder, but I'm still your Mutter and you'll alvays be my little boy. Your body is still too veak. Now dhat your mouth seems to have healed, here…" Frieda said as she dipped the spoon into the oatmeal.

Blitz knew she was right, but it still felt awkward to be fed like he was a newborn pup. He pushed it to the side and gladly accepted the soothing meal. The heat warmed his throat and seemed the coat his stomach relieving the burning and damage from the many throwing up spells. It felt good feel the heat around his teeth without pain.

After about three spoonfuls, Frieda put a straw in the mug of peppermint tea and offered it to Blitz. Blitz drank almost half of it in one gulp. The coolness of the peppermint steeped inside the hot tea soothed the muscles around his face and head from the several migraine episodes.

He managed another three spoonfuls of the filling oatmeal before he couldn't stand anymore. Frieda and Weis couldn't have been happier. It was like he made a drastic improvement overnight.

"Vhere's Jersey…?" Blitz asked.

"She's just freshening up. She had a long night," Frieda answered.

"Is she coming back down?" Blitz asked.

"Of course she is… I'll go tell her you're avake. I'm sure your brodhers and sisters are vanting to see you too. Is dhat alright?" Weis asked, not sure how up for so much company he was.

Blitz nodded with a smile, which sent Weis on his way out the door. Frieda set the bowl on the tray and moved it over beside the door for Shag to pick up later. Blitz leaned back against his pillow feeling rid of the fear that had tormented him for so many months.

Slowly, his brothers and sisters trickled in from their rooms along with Jersey, who had put on the dress Blitz always loved to see her in: a solid deep red short-sleeved day dress with a loose belt with a heart-shaped buckle right at her hip.

Blitz smiled as she came close to his side and nuzzled his neck.

"Good to see you smile again, Darlin'…" Jersey said as she gave his cheek a kiss.

"I have too many reasons to…" Blitz said, nuzzling Jersey back.

"Indeed…" Frieda agreed.

"Dhere vas so much death and pain over dhere… I'm just glad it's over… I'm sorry for not letting go sooner," Blitz said.

"No apology necessary…" Abel reassured.

Blitz flexed his paws slightly as the bandages became constricting.

"Ach…! Mutter, could you take dhese off? Dhey're hurting my hands," Blitz said.

"Here ve go…" Frieda said as she snipped the gauze free.

Blitz flexed his paws again and suddenly… his claws reappeared!

"AH! Your claws… dhey've grown back!" Greta exclaimed.

"I never realized how much dhese and my teeth mean to me. It's nice to talk vidout dhat ting in my mouth too," Blitz said.

The family just sat and talked for about another hour before fatigue began to set in. Blitz began yawning more and more until he could no longer keep his eyes open.

"Come… let's leave him to rest," Frieda said a she and her children left the room.

"I'm gonna stay just a few moments more. I'll be right behind you in a little bit," Jersey said as she took one of Blitz's paws in hers.

Weis nodded and left the couple alone as his family went about caring for themselves again.

Jersey turned Blitz's paw over in hers and grazed his paw pads with the tips of her freshly manicured claws causing his to extend to their full-length. Jersey smiled seeing one of her joys restored. She set it back down gently so she wouldn't wake him. She took another blanket and covered him up to his neck as his gentle snoring told of the peace now reigning inside his mind. She tenderly kissed his lips causing Blitz to smile in his sleep. As she left the room, she smiled knowing that soon she would have her husband back.

Meanwhile, Leona and Colleen had just woken up from the first full night's sleep either one had in weeks.

"Time to wake up, Rose-Blossom… Hunter's waiting for you…" Leona nudged the Collie.

"Uhhhhh… Huntie…?" Colleen moaned.

"Come on…" Leona said as she ripped the covers off Colleen.

"Hey!" Colleen said playfully.

"Well, get outta bed, sleepyhead! Don't you want to go and see Hunter?" Leona said.

Colleen smiled. Since Leona told her Hunter finally let everything go last night, she was anxious to see his beautiful brown eyes and kind smile. It was like she had come back to life again.

"Oh, Mum, I've missed him so…" Colleen said.

"I know, Rosie, I know. Oh, before I forget, I've been meaning to give this to you for some time now. Now, I know you don't wear dresses much, but I thought maybe you'd find it appropriate for today," Leona said as she pulled out a powder blue sundress with a green and yellow swirl pattern on the fabric.

"Mum… it's beautiful. Let me change and see how it fits…" Colleen said happily, which overjoyed Leona seeing how much Colleen liked it.

Colleen disappeared for a moment and returned in the perfectly fitted dress. Leona was amazed at how much it brightened Colleen reddish-brown fur and blue eyes.

"Oh, it looks better on you than I ever thought it would. Look in the mirror," Leona said, pointing to her full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom's door.

"Blimey… I think Huntie will like it too, don't you, Mum?" Colleen said as she twirled around.

"I think he'll love it, Rose-Blossom. Let's finish up and go see him," Leona said.

In the ICU, Hunter was still fast asleep. He hadn't moved since Leona tucked him in the night before. A peaceful sleep had Master Shepherd and Professor Hubert's hopes extremely high.

"Ever since Leona told me, Hunter's heart seems to have gotten so much stronger," Professor Hubert noted.

"It's amazing what a mother can do, isn't it…?" Master Shepherd said.

"Indeed…" Professor Hubert agreed.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came walking behind them. They turned to see Leona… and Colleen!

"Well a 'Good Morning' to you both! It's good to see you down here, Colleen. My… that dress is simply beautiful on you," Master Shepherd said.

"Thank you, Master. Mum gave it to me this morning and I thought I'd wear it for Hunter. How is he?" Colleen asked.

"Doing quite well actually… his heart rhythm was perfectly normal all night long. He's still asleep, but you can go in. I have Shag fixing up some hot cereal for him. I'm hoping he'll try to start eating today," Master Shepherd said.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about," Leona said.

"I hope not… go on in… I need to see how the others are doing," Master Shepherd said as he continued his rounds.

Leona and Colleen gingerly stepped into the room. The normal rhythm of the heart monitor seemed to reiterate what Master had just said. Leona took one side of Hunter's bed and Colleen the other. The anguish that before had plagued his face had greatly diminished and his golden fur had begun to reappear. Colleen took his left hand that still was wearing his wedding band and interlaced her paw with his. Leona gently put her paw to his head and tenderly rubbed his head fur.

"Mmmmmmm…" Hunter whimpered softly as he began waking up.

His eyes slowly opened and he blinked several times to clear the sleep out of them. He looked up to where he was feeling the paw on his forehead and saw the loving face of his mother.

"Mom…" Hunter said softly.

"Morning, Sunbeam… there's someone here to see you…" Leona said, looking over at Colleen.

Hunter turned his head toward Colleen and saw her beautiful face smiling at him.

"Colleen…" Hunter squeaked as tears began streaming down his face.

"Shhhhh… Huntie… I'm here…" Colleen said, tears of joy welling up in her eyes seeing Hunter's beautiful eyes back and hearing his voice full of kindness and compassion.

"Colleen… I'm… I'm so sorry. Please… please forgive me…" Hunter managed as he pulled her hand close to his chest.

"It's alright, Love. I was just so scared hearing you yell at me. I didn't mean for you to think I didn't understand. I thought if I started crying then it would've made you worse," Colleen said, kissing his cheek.

"I-I just didn't know what to do with the awful things we all saw over there. Colleen, you're the first one I should've turned to," Hunter wept.

"For better or for worse… in sickness and in health… in good times and bad… Huntie, when I said those vows I meant them. Why did you ever think I wouldn't understand? I vowed to love and cherish you forever," Colleen said.

"I don't know what got into me… I'm just glad it's gone," Hunter said, rubbing Colleen's soft paw on his face.

Colleen smiled and nuzzled Hunter's neck as she held his head close to hers. Hunter savored the scent of Colleen's magnolia peach blossom perfume that he treasured. Leona smiled to see her son and daughter-in-law reconciled together again.

Suddenly, the sound of squeaking wheels entered the ICU room. Shag had brought in what Master had requested for Hunter, hot cereal mixed with a touch of maple syrup and brown sugar. The smell of food was for once a welcome delight to Hunter's nose as the smell travelled to his stomach causing it to roar loudly at him from neglect.

"Rararararararararararararara rarara…" Shag said, explaining what Master had ordered.

"Thank you, Shag," Leona said, giving the sheepdog a small kiss on the cheek.

"Rarararararara rararararara…" Shag said, saying it was no trouble because it was for his family.

"Thanks, Shag," Colleen reciprocated as she lifted Hunter's bed up so he could sit upright.

"Rarara…" Shag replied as he left the room.

Hunter winced in pain as the pressure on his injured leg caused it to begin throbbing in pain.

"Owww… man… my leg is killing me," Hunter grimaced.

"Easy, Love… here; let me put it up in the sling. That should help," Colleen said.

She uncovered Hunter's still badly bruised and swollen leg and wrapped it in a breathable mesh sling. She fastened the arm over the foot of the bed and slowly lifted the sling onto the hooks. Hunter whined from the pounding pain, but was able to relax after the pressure was taken off.

"I'll have Professor Hubert get you some pain medication after you eat something," Colleen said as she stirred the piping hot bowl to release the steam.

"I don't know if I can…" Hunter said weakly.

"You need to eat, Hunter… you'll only keep getting worse if your body has nothing to fuel the healing process," Leona said.

"No… it's not that… I don't know if I can even hold on to the bowl or not. I can barely move my arms much less hold anything," Hunter explained.

"Oh, that's an easy fix. I'll do all the holding and you just do the eating. You may be grown up, but you're still my little sunbeam. That's what moms are for," Leona said as Colleen handed her the bowl.

"I guess sometimes only a mom can fix everything…" Hunter said.

"Colleen, would you get a glass of milk please?" Leona asked.

"Sure… be right back," Colleen said.

"You do realize how weird this feels from my point of view…?" Hunter said.

"Maybe so… but I think your circumstances erase all the awkwardness," Leona said as she continued to cool the cereal down.

"I'm back… here you go, Mum," Colleen said as she returned with a medium-sized glass of milk with a straw.

"Thank you, Rosie," Leona said as she set the glass on the table.

"Colleen, are you wearing a sundress…?" Hunter asked, confused.

"Yes, Mum gave it to me this morning. Do you like it?" Colleen asked.

"Yeah… I'm not used to seeing you in one. You should wear one more often," Hunter said with a smile.

"Alright, Hunter, let's try one bite…" Daisy said as she brought the spoon to Hunter's mouth.

Hunter slowly nursed the smooth cereal from the spoon as he let it run down the back of his dry throat. The heat seemed to restore the lining of his digestive tract. After swallowing the first spoonful, Leona put the straw of the glass to Hunter's lips and he took three sips of the ice cold milk. Spoon after spoon, Hunter managed to eat almost half of the bowl. He drank the entire glass of milk, which filled his stomach to the top.

With the feeling of a full, satisfied stomach, drowsiness came over Hunter almost immediately.

"Wow… I'm really sleepy all of a sudden…" Hunter yawned.

"You did well, Love. Rest now… I'll be right here…" Colleen said, giving him a kiss on his lips.

"How does your leg feel, Hunter?" Leona asked.

"It feels a lot better up in the sling. I don't really need anything for pain," Hunter replied.

"Good… the less we have to give you the less likely you'll develop an immunity to it," Colleen said.

"I wonder why I still feel so wiped out. I slept all night," Hunter said as he leaned against his pillows.

"Your body needs time to heal. Sleep as much as you can," Leona said.

Hunter nodded as his eyelids finally fell shut and his breathing became relaxed and deep. Colleen gave him another kiss and she and Leona left him to rest.

"Here's that pain medication you said Hunter needed, Colleen," Professor Hubert said as he handed Colleen a syringe.

"Actually, Professor, Huntie doesn't need it. I put his leg up in a sling and he said it stopped hurting. He's sound asleep now," Colleen replied.

"Well, that's great news! Seems like it's been a great day for everyone," Professor Hubert said.

"Blitz and Exile are doing better…?" Leona asked.

"Indeed they are… day by day…" Professor Hubert replied.

"I'm glad. Looks like we'll be back to normal soon," Colleen said.


End file.
